Phoebe Halliwell is not in the building.
During the Los Angeles premiere of her new Netflix series, Insatiable, Alyssa Milano made it clear she’s not involved with The CW’s Charmed reboot in any capacity. As a matter of fact, she seemed just as disinterested as we are.
“I wish that they would have come to us and we would have been involved since the beginning,” Milano told Entertainment Tonight. “But having said that, I do hope that it reaches the newer generation and impacts that generation the way ours was able to do for its generation.”
The outlet went on to ask Milano if there was a surprise Halliwell cameo in the works, to which she responded, “I don’t think so. I think that ship has sailed for me.”
Milano isn’t the first member of the original Charmed cast to speak out. Holly Marie Combs, who played Piper, has been an outspoken detractor of the new series on social media.
“Here’s the thing,” she wrote when news of the reboot broke. “Until you ask us to rewrite it like Brad Kern did weekly don’t even think of capitalizing on our hard work. Charmed belongs to the 4 of us, our vast amount of writers, crews and predominantly the fans. FYI you will not fool them by owning a title/stamp. So bye.”
“While some may not get why I take issue with the network that didn’t want to renew Charmed 12 years ago ‘reimagining’ it now let me just say I understand it perfectly,” she shared. “Also this kinda stuff given all that Rose and Alyssa have done lately…um no. Just No”
“And another thing,” she followed up. “Reboots or remakes, as we used to call them, usually have storylines so similar to the original that they are legally required to use the same title and buy the rights to that title. If it’s not similar than it’s just another show. A new show with a new title.”
Likewise, Shannen Doherty, who played Prue Halliwell, had a lot to say when one fan pointed out The CW’s “terrible approach” that “belittl[ed] everything that Charmed brought to the table.”
“Yep. You nailed it,” she wrote. “Their wording is terrible and a bit offensive. But, everyone makes mistakes. Perhaps with the backlash they will be more thoughtful in future.”
Rose McGowan, who played Paige Matthews, simply wrote, “They have really run out of ideas in Hollywood. Lame lame lame lamertons.”
The issue with this reboot — as the cast pointed out — is that calling it “feminist, fierce, and funny” insults the original series. It discredits the legacy of one of the longest running female-facing TV series in Hollywood. The network chose to end Charmed after Season 8 (not necessarily due to ratings) and turned down the cast’s offer to reprise their roles for a reboot of sorts, be it a movie or a fresh season.
The CW’s choice to belittle the original in order to prop up its “reimagining” is disappointing, and it looks like the original cast shares that sentiment.
Unfortunately for Milano, Insatiable is also facing backlash. The show follows a teen, Patty, who loses weight after a crazy accident and decides she wants revenge on everyone who bullied her when she was overweight. However, the show’s use of a fat suit, its so-called dark humor, and certain problematic story lines have critics wondering how it even made it on the streaming site.
In response to naysayers, Milano has pointed out Insatiable is satirical and should be regarded as such.
“I won’t apologise for doing this show,” Milano told People. “I think it’s important and I think art at its best is a conversation instigator and I definitely think this show is going to be that.”
“The irony of people judging the show — which is a 12-hour piece of work — from a one minute and 28 second trailer was interesting because really what the show is about is how looks can be deceiving,” she continued.
In times like these we like to ask ourselves: WWPHD?
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